At the 2025 Paris Air Show, Monaco-based Venturi Space led by Monegasque entrepreneur Gildo Pastor, once known for groundbreaking electric cars, revealed its bold new lunar rover concept for which it is the lead contractor: Mona Luna. This rover, destined for the Moon’s South Pole by 2030, marks Europe’s most ambitious step yet toward autonomous lunar mobility .
A Rover Built for Extremes
Stretching 2.5 m by 1.64 m and weighing 750 kg, Mona Luna is engineered as a lunar “ATV” capable of navigating steep slopes and soft regolith, which is terrain typical of that near the lunar poles . The rover must withstand the Moon’s massive temperature swings (–130 °C to +120 °C). European-developed thermal systems and battery packs, produced in Monaco, are designed to endure multiple lunar nights .
Propelled by electric motors, recharged via solar panels, and supported by three high-performance batteries, Mona Luna can autonomously traverse the lunar landscape at speeds theoretically at 20 km/h max on ideal terrain.
Of course Mona Luna needs wheels, very special Hyper‑Deformable wheels. These innovative, puncture-proof wheels, designed in Switzerland, handle radiation, vacuum, and extreme cold, while offering excellent off-road performance .
Full Monaco & European Integration
Unlike previous Luna Rover models (Flip and Flex) – you may recall these earlier rovers linked to significant Venturi Space contributions which relied partially on US partnerships including Venturi Space Lab in the US – the Mona Luna prototype is entirely European-made. Assembly, avionics, ground links, and acceptance testing will all take place at Venturi Space France in Toulouse, with component manufacturing spread across Monaco, Switzerland, and France. Venturi is also reportedly formalizing a “technology firewall” to maintain a clear boundary from US operations .
Ready for Artemis-Like Missions
Mona Luna is tailored to ride on Europe’s upcoming Ariane 6.4 rocket and land aboard European Space Agency’s (ESA) Argonaut lunar lander. Equipped with a robotic arm, the rover can place scientific payloads, carry experiment modules, and even evacuate stranded astronauts in emergency scenarios, capabilities supported by French National Centre for Space Studies ‘ CNES) feasibility studies.
A Commercial Edge
Venturi Space envisions multi-faceted use of Mona Luna for Institutional Missions transporting payloads for ESA and CNES. Not to forget Commercial Ventures including delivery services, promotional expeditions, and support for in-situ resource utilization (e.g. helium‑3 mining).
All this requires a Sustainable Business Model mirroring terrestrial electric mobility strategies to ensure long-term economic viability .
Europe’s Rover Renaissance
Mona Luna fills a critical void in European lunar capability: while ESA has Ariane 6 and Argonaut landers lined up, no heavy rover was in the pipeline. Venturi Space is reportedly pushing for funding approval at ESA’s ministerial meeting in late 2025 and is exploring an ESA-backed public–private partnership, akin to NASA’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) model .
Eyes on Mars—and Beyond
Drawing from its Moon-rover experience, Venturi Space is already working on developing a Mars rover aimed at autonomous operation, subsurface water detection, and in-situ resource processing—specifically, converting water into oxygen and methane propellant .
Why Mona Luna Matters
Mona Luna is more than a lunar vehicle—it represents Europe’s leap toward space autonomy. It showcases indigenous engineering capabilities across design, propulsion, and energy systems. And being modular one can envisage a rover-as-a-service mindset fit for science, industry, and even tourism.
Especially exciting is the bridge from lunar exploration to Martian ambition. Says Gilda Pastor: “I’m an explorer above all. Space is the next frontier, and Mona Luna is our way of advancing into it,” Mars beckons.
In the next half-decade, Mona Luna could become Europe’s first homegrown astronautical workhorse—ushering in a new era of autonomous, commercially savvy, and strategically sovereign space exploration.
